OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC put on the public record Friday a slew of applications for new radio stations in Ottawa-Gatineau, along with several new TV proposals (Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing 2008-1).
Telelatino Network is looking for Category 2 digital TV licences for four new stations, while Rogers Broadcasting is seeking to operate a national English-language digital TV station devoted to baseball, called appropriately Baseball TV.
Among the 11 applications for radio licences in the Ottawa-Gatineau area are: Reel-Radio for a French-language campus radio station, Fiston Kalambay for a French-language Christian music service, Corus Radio Company for an English-language…
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PRINCE RUPERT, BC – Rogers Wireless has launched advanced wireless services over its Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication network in Prince Rupert, BC to service the city and Northern Canada.
“I appreciate Rogers’ support of our efforts to invest in the future of Northern B.C. with its multi-million dollar network expansion which will bring wireless service to Prince Rupert and other towns in the area,” said BC Premier Gordon Campbell.
Rogers said it has invested over $10 million in the service. Rogers Wireless GSM network coverage is now available in Prince Rupert and Terrace, with expansion to Prince…
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ST CATHARINES – Robert C. (Bob) Short, the founding president of the Canadian Cable Television Association, died last weekend. He was 82.
After years in the electrical equipment supply industry, rising to president of Edwards Company, Short was hired as the first full-time president of the CCTA in 1970. Later, he also served as vice-president of Canada Wire and Cable, the first president of Cancom and deputy chairman of CUC Broadcasting (which many will recall as Trillium Cable).
Short fought some of cable’s first battles during his five-year stint heading the association, such as helping win the rights to…
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TORONTO – CTVglobemedia announced this afternoon that John Gossling, 42, has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of CTVglobemedia, effective April 7, 2008.
He replaces Robin Fillingham, 63, who is retiring. “This afternoon CTVgm’s board unanimously congratulated Robin for his 37 years of distinguished and exemplary service to the company. Mr. Fillingham will serve as a consultant to Mr. Gossling during the transition period,” says the CTV press release.
Gossling was most recently vice-president, financial operations at Rogers Communications Inc. From 2000 to 2005, he served as the senior vice-president and CFO of Rogers Wireless. From 1985 to 2000, Gossling…
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TORONTO – Gord Cutler and Don Young have been named executive producers, features for the CTV-Rogers’ coverage of the 2010/2012 Olympic Games in Vancouver and London.
Reporting to Rick Chisholm, EVP broadcasting for the CTV/Rogers Olympic consortium, Cutler will handle planning and programming of the pre-Olympic and Olympic coverage, including live event, studio and taped production for both the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the London 2012 Olympic Summer Games on CTV and Rogers.
“I have had the opportunity to watch Gord’s development in sports television production from the very beginning. Over the years, he has developed into…
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TORONTO – Leave it to Ted Rogers to take a shot at his competition while complaining about regulation – in the same sentence.
During Friday’s conference call with financial analysts, the Rogers Communications founder bemoaned the new rules announced in November by Industry Minister Jim Prentice surrounding the wireless spectrum auction coming in May, but especially took shots at the conditions placed on him when it comes to mandated network roaming for newcomers.
While spectrum has been set aside for new wireless companies, the ministry also said that the incumbents must allow customers of these newbies to roam on…
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MONTREAL – After analyzing the spectrum auction rules, meeting with several potential partners and talking business plans, Quebecor Media chief Pierre Karl Peladeau says his company will be a national wireless player.
Well, he didn’t say national for sure, but if he’s going to play the game outside of Quebec, which he did say for sure, it’s more than likely to be a nationwide play. He has already said he likes the advanced wireless spectrum auction rules set out late last year by Industry Canada and that he will bid on spectrum. Today was the first time he…
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GATINEAU – Saying that two proposed purchases would violate its common station ownership policy, the CRTC has denied Jim Pattison Broadcast Group’s application to purchase two more stations in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.
In 2007, Pattison agreed to buy CKIZ-FM Vernon from Rogers Media and CIGV-FM Penticton from Great Valleys Radio for undisclosed purchase prices.
However, Pattison already owns two FM stations in Kelowna, which is less than 60 kms from either of Penticton or Vernon and the proximity means that such concentration of ownership in the valley runs contrary to CRTC policy, says the decision.
“As set out…
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GATINEAU – Reply comments filed with the CRTC on Friday on its broadcasting distribution undertakings and specialty services policy review don’t show anyone has changed their minds. They’ve mostly dug right in, as expected.
(And, we’ll set aside the fee for carriage debate right away for this particular piece. Over-the-air broadcasters and producers who look to see more funds flow their way want consumers to pay a fee for conventional TV stations. Cable and satellite companies do not. We’ll dive deeper into the issue in a later story.)
This story, however, is a tale of two extremes. We looked…
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MONTREAL – Four unnamed suitors have submitted bids for Quebec’s financially strapped TQS television network, but neither Rogers Communications nor RNC Média (Radio Nord Communications), who have been rumoured as suitors for the troubled French broadcaster, are among them.
TQS and the court-appointed controller, RSM Richter, said late Monday that four offers were received by the Monday deadline and they will be evaluated in the coming days. TQS entered bankruptcy protection in December and the courts gave the company until this week to find firm offers.
“The deposit of these four firm offers demonstrates the industry’s interest in TQS…
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